Automobile signal



Oct, 22, 1940. A. H. TowNsEND :r AL

' AUTOMQBILE SIGNAL Filed June l'l, 1958 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATI-:s

'2,219,203 e l AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Adrian H. Townsend and Chicago:

Wlilllliam C. Augenstein,

Application June 11, 193s, serial No. 213,257 Y 9 Claims.

Our invention relates to automobile signals, and more particularly to the units which are placed at the front or rear to denote a turn about to be made in the left-hand or right-hand direc- .5 tion, and our mainobject is to provide a direction indicating unit which casts an.illuminated and sharply defined signal legend into view.

A further object oi the invention is to provide 'a unit of the type mentioned which confines a luminous element to a linear form, whose course or outline may be that of an arrow, index hand or other indicating legend.

A still further object of the invention is to include shading means for the luminous element of '15 the indicating unit, that its light may be lconcentrated and undisturbed by external light.

Another object of the invention is to devise anindicatin'g unit which contains a translucent element for the passage of light from the source of illumination, such element being. disposed for casting reflected light in the desired direction with a high degree of eillciency.

An important object of `the invention is to construct the indicating unit in a manner to be compact and to confine the light to the immediate course of passage for indicating purposes, so that a small lamp bulb will sufdce for casting a suillcient amount of light for the signal.

With the above objects in view, and any others which may suggest themselves from the description 'to-follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a rear view oi a portion of an automobile body, showing a pair of the direction indicating units installed;

Fig. 2 is. an enlarged face view of the righthand indicating unit; l

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the unit in Fig. 2 from the right-hand side and showing means'for attaching the unit to the rear window of the automobile;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the unit shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a top edge view, partly in section, of a light transmitting lens; and

Fig. 6 is a face view of the said lens. i Automobile signalsl of the type under consider- 5o ation usually employ a pair-of direction indicating units at the rear, and sometimes another pair at the front, the indicators being placed along the inner sides of the rear and front windows of Y the automobile. A switch located for handly access by the driver is actuated to operate the indicators in accordance with the direction of the turn intended to be made.

In the present instance, only the rear set .of indicating units has been'shown, these being denoted by the reference numeral l0. The units 5 may be supported upon opposite sides of the inner surface of the window II by any suitable means, one such meansl being a bracket I2 carrying a vacuum cup I3. The bracket shown is in a :form

to apply the cup I3 to a tilted window of the 10 modern type, but the bracket may be straight where the window is of the vertical type. The unit I0 is suflciently light to robtain a good support from a single vacuum cup.

Each unit I0 is, according to the present illusl5 tration, in the form of an arrow, although it may be maide in the form of an index 'hand or other signal legend. It is preferably in the form of an open casinghaving a deep marginal rim I5. 'I'he body Io of the unit le extended rearwardly with a 2 receptacle I6 for a standard type of lamp socket I1, the current supply cord for the socket leading from the rear of the receptacle as indicated at I8 in Fig. 3. A lamp bulb I9 of the 6-8 voit type is insertible into the socket from. the front'to -as- 25 sume the position indicated in Fig. 4.

For the purpose of the present invention the light from the lamp bulb I9 is transmitted by way of alight transmitting element 20, the latter'being of .translucent material, such as glass, Lucite 3 or other suitable transparent substance, and preferably is of amber color, since amber light is visible over a longer distance than red or green light.

The light transmitting element 20 is at and oi.'

la thickness approaching JZ/s inch, the proper thickness to be determined by the size of the indicating unit or other requirements; and the size and form of the light transmitting element are similar to that o f the casing, in order` that the light transmitting element may fit therein as shown in `Figs. 2 and 4. i -The vlight transmitting element 20 has a medial opening or cut out portion 2| to' ciearthe lamp bulb I9; and the position of the light transmitting element in respect to the latter is such that the plane of the light transmitting element intersects the zoneof the lamp filament 22. On the outside the light transmitting element receives an opaque shield 23 which has a medial bulge 24 to 50 clear the lamp bulb I9. The shield has a rim 25 inwardly spaced from and following the contour y of the casing rim I5 providing a marginal channel therearound. The shield receives bolts 26 in-l side the corners, such'bolts'passing through the 55` light transmitting element and casing to receive securing nuts 21. As indicated in Fig. 2, two of the bolts also receive the bracket I2 in back of the casing before the nuts 21 are applied, this arrangement eliminating special fastening means for the bracket.

The light transmitting element could be made plain or of even thickness, but it is preferable to have it recessed in its frontal face to present a short rim 28. The light transmitting elef ment thus forms a seat for the shield 23 and secures a more accurate and compact fit between the shield light transmitting element and casing when the bolts are made fast.

In placing the light transmitting element 20 in line with the lament 22 of the lamp bulb, the light from the filament passes directly and in its strongest state through the light transmitting element to the outer portions thereof. Such portions are thus visible through the opening of the channel formed by the rims and I5. However, we have found that by beveling the edges of the light transmitting element from the rear as indicated at 29, the light is reflected rather than diused, shining brightly from the aforesaid channel. In this respect, the extra thickness imparted to the light transmitting element in the region of its rim enables the bevels 29 to be cut without causing a sharp outer edge which might become damaged or come out' imperfectly from\ the mold in which the light transmitting` element is cast or pressed. Thus, a small size of automobile bulb will suffice to pass so much light by way of the reflecting bevels 29 that the image of the arrow or other legend seen in the indicating unit will be bright and clear cut; also, the rims 25 and I5 will serve to shade such image from being disturbed or diffused by light entering from the outside.

It is, natural that the light from the lamp bulb I9 should more brightly illuminate the medial portions of the bevels 29, since these are nearest to the source of illumination. For this reason we have chosen to decrease each bevel from the ends toward the center, as indicated at 30, so that the light will be spread evenly and the signal will not show brighter spots at points in its course. Fig. 6 shows the forward sections of the arrow formed as just described, while the rear and stem sections thereof are uniform. The tapers of the bevels may however extend to the rear and stem portions as well, in case experiment proves that these portions, although forming only secondary parts of the signal, should cast light uniformly.

lIt will be evident from the above description that wev have provided an indicating unit which is extremely compact, while containing important values. First, the casing I5 is relatively thin, so

that it takes up little space inside the window to which the unit is applied. Second, the casing and the shield Aare assembled in a manner to compact- 1y conne the light transmitting element 20 be# tween them and allow the light to pass only to the zone of reflection, so thatno light is wasted and the economical minimum voltage light bulb may be used with high eil'iciency. Further, the

rims 25 and I5 have the parallel contour of the signal to clearly define the same and perform the shading purpose previously explained. Further, the bevels of the light transmitting element and their tapered formations operate to transmit a maximum of light of uniform intensity. Further, the assembly of the unit is compact and strong, so as to resist shocks and displacing tendencies.

being however easily capable of separation by removal of the bolts when a burnt out or defective light bulb is to be replaced. Finally, the novel indicator unit is of a nature to be used at any point where a direction signal is required and with any suitable type of switch, as well as with a asher where an intermittent signal effect is desired.

While we have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes or refine- 'ments may be made therein without departing from its principle, and I desire to consider all such changes and refinements as coming within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A signal device having a hollow opaque casing having a narrow opening in the face thereof, including portions converging toward each other to form a signal index, a source of light within the casing remote from the opening and out of alinement therewith, a body of lightconducting material having an inner edge op. posed to the source of light and having a .laterally extending ange at its outer edge registering with said opening, and a reflecting surface at the outer edge of the body and on the side thereof opposite to that on which the ange is located, arranged to reflect the light through and out of alinement therewith, a body of lightconducting material having an inner edge opposed to the source of light and having a laterally extending flange at its outer edge registering with said opening, and a reflecting surface at the outer edge of the' body and on the side thereof opposite to that on which the ange is located, arranged to reflect the light through the flange and opening, said device also including means for substantially equalizing the intensity of the light transmitted through every part of the opening, irrespective of the distance thereof from said light source.

3. A signal device, comprising a hollow opaque casing having a narrow opening in the face thereof, said opening defining the outline of a signal index, a source of light within the casing remote from said opening and out of alignment therewith, a body of translucent material within said casing and having an inner edge opposed to said source of light, an outer edge portion of said body closing said opening, reflecting means at the outer edge of said body on the surfacethereof remote from said opening and arranged to reflect the light through said opening.

4. The structure of claim 3, said refiecting means being formed for substantially equalling the intensity of the light transmitted through every part'of said opening, irrespective of the distance thereof from said light source.

5. An automobile signal light, comprising a base, means mounting a light source centrally of the front of said base, a shield overlying the medial portions of the front of said base to' restrict the projection of light from"said source in a forward direction, said shield being shaped to denne a 4signal index, a body of translucent material interposed between said shield and base and having an inner edge opposed to said light source, a substantially continuous portion of said translucent body extending` outwardly ofthe periphery of said shield to define the outline of a signal index, and reecting means assciated with said portion of said body which extends outwardly of said shield to reiiect light forwardly through said portion.Y

6. An autombile signal light, comprising a casing having a rear wall,`an open front and forwardly directed side walls dening a signal index, and electric light bulb having a lament, means mounting said bulb centrally of said rear wall, a body of light transmitting material carried within said casing and conforming substantially in outline to the size and shape of th index defined by said side walls, a shield for said bulb on the outside of said body said shield having a forwardly directed marginal rim extending in spaced parallelism to said side walls,

a cut out portion of said body adapted to receive said light bulb with the illament thereof positioned to project light radially outwardly through the opposed edges of said cut out porsaid casing, and reiiecting means for projecting said ,light forwardly through said space.

7. 'I'he structure of claim \6, the rear outer edges of said body being beveled in the zone of the space between said rim of said shield and said side walls to provide said means for projecting the light forwardly. l

8. 'Ihe structure or claim 6, said casing and body being each substantially flat, said cut out portion extending entirely through said body and said shield being flat for the most part but having an outwardly bulgedportion overlying said cut out portion of said body.

9. The structure .of claim 6, the rear outer edges of said body being beveled in the zone of the space between said rim vof said shield and said side walls to provide said means for projecting the light forwardly, and the angle-of ADRIAN H. "rowNsENn WILLIAM c. AuciiiiNs'TEIN. 

